Equivalency Requirements of Qualifications issued from Foreign Higher Educational Institutions

In order to attest credentials issued by institutes of higher education accredited outside the UAE, the interested party must meet the following conditions:

Duration of Study:

• The interested party must have spent no less than one year of study or an equivalent thereof in any specialty after getting their high school certificate (Secondary Certificate) or its equivalent in order to obtain a diploma.
• The interested party must have spent no less than two years of study or the equivalent thereof in any specialty after getting their high school certificate in order to obtain an associate degree.
• The interested party must have spent no than three years of study or the equivalent thereof after getting their high school certificate to obtain a higher diploma.
• The interested party must have spent no less than three years of study in any educational institution applying the annual system; or alternatively, they must have spent (120) accredited hours as per the semester system or (180) accredited hours as per the quarter system, or they must complete at least (240) credits as per the ETCS for bachelor's degree.
• The interested party must have spent no less than one year of study or the equivalent thereof after getting the bachelor degree in order to obtain a post-graduate diploma or a master's degree.
• The interested party must have spent at least three years of study after getting their high school certificate or the equivalent thereof in order to obtain a master's degree in case of integrating the bachelor and the master's degrees, subject to the fulfillment of all requirements of both degrees.
• The interested party must have spent at least two years of study after getting the master's degree in order to obtain a doctoral degree only if the university bylaw so stipulates. Otherwise, the interested party must have spent a minimum period of three years of study after their bachelor's degree for getting a doctoral degree in case the latter does not require getting a master's degree.

Period of School Attendance and Residence in the Host Country:

• The interested party must have attended all the courses at the country of study during the provision of these courses; this shall only apply to the education programs that are wholly or partially based on courses.
• The interested party must be present at the concerned educational Institution main Campus during the period specified for research conduct for at least thirty days per academic year from the period required for obtaining the relevant degree. This shall only apply to post-graduate studies that are wholly or partially based on the research study system in the theoretical specialties that don't require availability of labs or any further practical applications.
• The interested party must be present at the concerned educational establishment during the period specified for research conduct for at least one-third of the minimum period required to obtain the relevant degree. This shall only apply to post-graduate studies that are wholly or partially based on the research study system in the medical, engineering or any other scientific specialty that requires availability of labs or any further practical applications or supplies. 
• The committee may, in certain cases, partially exempt any person from the conditions related the duration of attendance on grounds pertaining to research type or place or on any other grounds deemed appropriate by the committee as per the executive regulations adopted by the same.

• The interested party must have complied with the program of study in which they were enrolled according to the regulations and bylaws adopted by the concerned educational institution in the host country, and without prejudice to the requirements of Equivalency System.
• In case transferring credits from an educational institution to another, the maximum credits transferred shall not exceed 50% of the total credits required for obtaining the relevant degree; however, these credits must be obtained from an authorized and licensed institution.
• In case of getting credits based on an untraditional educational system, the maximum credits obtained under such a system shall be 25% of total credits required for the conventional degree. However, these credits must be obtained from an educational institution recommended by the Ministry to apply online learning systems in case the credits are received from an institution other than the one granting the relevant degree; and maximum semester credits must be 18 credits or the equivalent thereof under similar educational systems. Untraditional educational systems include Online Learning, Hybrid as well as Blended Educational systems.
• Equivalency of master and doctoral degrees in medicine, law and engineering may be considered on the condition that the 1st university degree (the bachelor's degree) is in the same specialty of the degree required to be equalized.